Convertible/inverted tree

ABSTRACT

An invertible decorative tree having sections that are each provided with complementary receiving and associating mechanisms. The sections include a stand, a trunk segment, at least one tree body and a tree top. Through the complementary relationships of the receiving and associating mechanisms, the tree can be arranged to provide a triangular appearance with its apex at the top or its apex near the bottom. In order to provide for this inversion, the tree top must be equipped to connect with the trunk segment or with a tree body segment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to artificial decorative trees in generaland to a convertible tree in particular.

2. Description of Related Art

Artificial trees for holiday decorations have long since been known inthe art. Variations extend to tree stands, the manner in which branchesare attached or assembled with the tree, ways trees collapse forstorage, prelighting strategies, inclusion of devices to producechanging color or blinking lights, different stands to stabilize thetrees, even devices that rotate the entire tree or certain ornaments onthe trees.

Recently, certain decorative trees have been made to look like invertedpine trees such that the apex of the triangular shape is at the bottomwith the opposing side at the top. This shape is desirable for thosewishing for a better way to position and display presents and gifts. Inaddition, the inverted tree allows for ornaments to hang outside thesilhouette of the tree such that their display is enhanced. Whether auser desires an upright or an inverted tree may, however, change overtime.

The present invention differs from the above referenced inventions andothers similar in that these prior devices do not allow the user to varythe height of the decorative tree while also providing the user theoption of inverted or upright tree. Additionally, earlier devices do notoffer economies of scale necessary for decorative tree manufacturersthat could be obtained by creating a tree that serves the dual purposeof an upright tree and an inverted tree each of variable height.

One objective of the present invention is to provide an attractiveinverted tree of variable height;

A second object of the present invention is to provide an attractiveupright tree of variable height;

A third objective of the present invention is to provide a tree easilyconverted from upright to inverted and one wherein height adjustment isavailable regardless of orientation.

SUMMARY

The present invention is simple in nature. It includes a stand assembly,a trunk segment, at least one tree body assembly and a tree top section.In the preferred embodiment, the tree is prelit and provided withappropriate electrical connections.

The tree of the present invention is convertible from an uprightgenerally triangular shaped tree with an apex at the top to an invertedtree of triangular shape with its apex need the bottom. The height ofthe tree (in either orientation) can be adjusted by using a trunksegment of varying length or by adding or subtracting the number of treebody assemblies. Each of the tree body assemblies have a plurality ofbranches graduated in length and arranged on the assembly from shortestto longest.

The trunk segment is associated with the stand assembly. The trunksegment has means to receive; the tree body assembly has means toassociate and means to receive; and the tree top section has means toassociate and means to receive. In the upright orientation, the means toassociate of the tree body assembly is received by the means to receiveof the trunk segment. The means to associate of the tree top section isreceived by the means to receive of the tree body assembly. Ifadditional tree body sections are used, the same arrangement ispreferred and the tree bodies are ordered such that the longest branchand the shortest branch, respectively, on a tree body segment areshorter than the longest branch and the shortest branch, respectively,on the next tree body assembly in direct relation with the tree'sheight.

The inverted tree orientation simply requires each of the tree bodyassemblies and the tree top section to be reversed in position anddirection. Specifically, means to associate of the tree top section isreceived by means to receive of the trunk segment. Means to associate ofthe tree body assembly is received by means to receive of the tree topsection which results in an inverted triangular shaped tree. Ifadditional tree body assemblies are used, then the means to associate onthe tree body assembly having shorter branches is received by the meansto receive on the tree body assembly having longer branches. Thisarrangement continues until the desired number of tree body assembliesare assembled, then the means to associate on the tree top section isreceived by the means to receive on the uppermost tree body assembly.

In the preferred embodiment, the uppermost point of the tree (whethertree top section or tree body assembly) will be a receiving means. Atree topper ornament such as a star is received by the receiving means.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will bereadily appreciated from the following description. The descriptionmakes reference to the accompanying drawings, which are provided forillustration of the preferred embodiment. However, such embodiment doesnot represent the full scope of the invention. The subject matter whichthe inventor does regard as his invention is particularly pointed outand distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of thisspecification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective of the upright version of the tree of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective of the inverted version of the tree of thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a trunk segment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of a tree body assemblyof the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a side view of a tree top section of the present invention;

FIG. 8 end views of the means to receive and the means to associate ofthe preferred embodiment;

FIG. 9 end views of the tree top-section.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the tree 10 of the present invention may beconverted from upright 12 to inverted 14 using identical and noadditional parts.

The tree 10 comprises a stand assembly 15, a trunk segment 16, a firsttree body assembly 18, and a tree top section 20. Said stand assembly 15comprises a plurality of feet 22 and means to receive said trunk segment24. Said trunk segment 16 comprises a first end 26 and a second end 27wherein said first end 26 includes means to associate 30. Said firsttree body assembly 18 includes a first end 40 having means to receive 42and a second end 44 having means to associate 46. Said first tree bodyassembly 18 further comprises a plurality of branches 48, 50 in variouslengths arranged between said first end 40 and said second end 44 fromshortest 50 to longest 48. Said means to associate 30 of said trunksegment 24 is received by said means to receive 42 of said first treebody assembly 18.

The tree top section 20 comprises a first end 60 and a second end 62 anda plurality of branches 61, 63 of varying length arranged from longest61 to shortest 63 between said first end 60 and said second end 62, saidlongest branches 63 being shorter than said longest branches 48 of saidfirst tree body assembly 18. Said first end 60 comprises first means toreceive 64, said second end 62 comprises a second means to receive 66.The means to associate 46 of the second end 44 of the tree body assembly18 are received by the first means to receive 64 of the tree top section20. An ornament 70 comprising means to associate 72 may be positionedatop the tree 10. Here, said means to associate of the ornament 72 arereceived by the second means to receive 66 of the tree top section 20.

In the preferred embodiment, a second tree body assembly 80 is included.The second tree body assembly 80 comprises a plurality of branches 82,84 in various lengths the longest of which is longer than the longestbranches 48 on said first tree body assembly 18 and arranged between afirst end 86 and a second end 88 from longest 84 to shortest 86. Saidfirst end 86 of the second tree body assembly 80 comprises means toreceive 90 and said second end 88 of the second tree body assembly 80comprises means to associate 92. Said means to associate 92 of saidsecond tree body assembly 80 are received by the means to receive 42 onsaid first tree body assembly 80. Said means to associate 30 said trunksegment 16 are received by said means to receive 90 on said second treebody assembly 80.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, in the preferred embodiment, said means toreceive comprise steel tubing of a first diameter 100 and said means toassociate comprise steel tubing having a second diameter 102 smallerthan said first diameter and expanding to equal or exceed said firstdiameter. Therefore, said means to associate and said means to receiveare secured by gravity and a friction fit, forming a junction 100. Thetree top section comprises two means for receiving and no means forassociating for a purpose to be described below.

The inverted tree of FIG. 3 comprises all the same elements, however,the positions of these elements relative to the stand assembly 15 arereversed and each element is inverted from its original orientation.Namely, said second means to receive 66 on said tree top section 20 ispositioned to receive said means to associate 26 of said trunk segment16. Said first means to receive 64 of said tree top section 20 ispositioned to receive said means to associate 44 of said first tree bodyassembly 18. Said means to receive 42 of said first tree body assembly18 receives said means to associate 92 of said second tree body assembly80. Said means to receive 90 of said second tree body assembly 80receives said means to associate 72 of said ornament 70.

The segmented construction of the present invention allows additionaltree body assemblies to be purchased to create a larger tree or for avariety of different lengths of trunk segments to be provided therebycreating different distances from the floor as desired by the user.Because the tree can be assembled in either direction, a manufacturercan sell it as either one or the other or as convertible in addition tooffering “add on pieces” for height variation.

Thus, the present invention has been described in an illustrativemanner. It is to be understood that the terminology that has been usedis intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than oflimitation.

Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possiblein light of the above teachings. For example, means to receive and meansto associate could include a variety of complementary mechanics. Thetree could include a large number of different decorative aspectsincluding means for alternating colors of lights, different ways offolding or extending branches for storage, etc. The branch lengths onsuccessive tree body assemblies may be arranged to provide a smoothdecrease in branch length from lowest to highest or could be selected sothat a demarcation or graduated effect between tree body assemblies isvisible. Therefore, within the scope of the appended claims, the presentinvention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

1. A decorative invertible generally triangular tree comprising: a) astand assembly; b) a trunk segment comprising a first end, a second end,and means to associate; c) a first tree body assembly comprising meansto receive and means to associate; d) a tree top section comprisingfirst means to receive and second means to receive; e) said standassembly comprising means to receive said first end of the trunksegment; f) said means to receive of said first tree body assemblycomplementarily constructed to receive said means to associate of saidtrunk segment; g) said first means to receive of said tree top sectioncomplementarily constructed to receive said means to associate of saidfirst tree body assembly; and h) said second means to receive of saidtree top section complementarily constructed to receive said means toassociate of said trunk segment to allow inversion of said tree topsection and said tree body assembly.
 2. The tree of claim 1 furthercomprising a second tree body assembly wherein said second tree bodyassembly comprises means to receive complementarily constructed toreceive said means to associate of said trunk segment and said means toassociate of said first tree body.
 3. The tree of claim 2 wherein saidmeans to associate of said second tree body assembly and said means toreceive of said first tree body are of complementary construction. 4.The tree of claim 3 wherein said means to associate of said second treebody and said first means to receive on said tree top section are ofcomplementary construction.
 5. The tree of claim 1 wherein said firsttree body further comprises a plurality of branches of varied lengtharranged from shortest to longest and said tree top section furthercomprises a plurality of branches of varied lengths less than or equalto the longest of the plurality of branches of said first tree body andarranged from shortest to longest.
 6. A decorative invertible generallytriangular tree comprising: a) a tree top section comprising first meansto receive and second means to receive; b) a tree body assemblycomprising means to receive and means to associate; c) a trunk segmentcomprising means to associate; d) said first means to receive on saidtree top section, said second means to receive on said tree top sectionand said means to receive on said tree body assembly capable ofreceiving said means to associate of said trunk segment and said meansto associate of said tree body assembly; e) said tree having an uprightarrangement comprising a lower most point adjacent said trunk segmentand an upper most point adjacent said tree top section and an invertedarrangement comprising said lower most point adjacent said tree topsection and said uppermost point adjacent said tree body assembly. 7.The tree of claim 6 wherein said upright arrangement further comprisesan apex near said uppermost point and said inverted arrangement furthercomprises an apex near said lowermost point.
 8. The tree of claim 7wherein the inverted arrangement comprises an inversion from the uprightarrangement of the tree top section and the tree body section whereinsaid trunk segment remains in position.
 9. A decorative invertiblegenerally triangular tree comprising: a) an uppermost point and alowermost point; b) a stand assembly, c) a trunk segment associated withsaid stand and including means to associate, d) a tree body assemblyincluding means to associate, e) a tree top section wherein said treetop section comprises a first and a second means to receive each ofcomplementary construction with said means to associate of said trunksegment and said means to associate of said tree body for the purpose ofallowing the tree top section to be positioned either near saiduppermost point for an upright arrangement or near said lowermost pointfor an inverted arrangement.
 10. The tree as claimed in claim 9 whereinsaid first and second means to receive each comprises a first diameterand said means to associate of said tree body and said means toassociate of said tree trunk segment each comprise a second diameterless than said first diameter and a third diameter equal or greater thansaid first diameter.
 11. The tree as claimed in claim 10 wherein saidinverted arrangement comprises said means to associate of said trunksegment received by said second means to receive of said tree topsection creating a junction, and said means to receive of said tree topsection positioned directly above said means to associate of said trunksegment provides a friction fit to stabilize the junction.
 12. The treeas claimed in claim 9 further comprising an ornament having means toassociate wherein said means to associate of said ornament is receivedby said second means to receive of said tree top.
 13. The tree asclaimed in claim 9 wherein said tree body assembly further comprises afirst plurality of branches of varied length arranged from longest toshortest and a plurality of lights dispersed among said first pluralityof branches.
 14. The tree as claimed in claim 13 wherein said tree topsection further comprises a second plurality of branches of variedlength all equal to or less than the shortest of the first plurality ofbranches and a plurality of lights dispersed among said second pluralityof branches.